2013 is too far away for me to really worry.Webber to Ferrari would become a nightmare to his fans. Think of 2011 but many times worse thanks to Alonso.

Are you sure?

Piquet beat Alonso to the first podium of the season. Are you suggesting that Webber is worse than Piquet? Most reasonable pundits would place Piquet in the Pizzonia category.

Webber will be more comfortable with a less-front end orientated car as Alonso likes, IMO. The car will be far more simple - point and squirt. Unlike the RBR, there won't be the expectation to use the rear end sliding to get the car to turn sufficiently.

A fan friendly line-up:

Red Bull: Hamilton (#1), Vettel (Hamilton wins the wdc by a 48 points for most dominant McLaren season in quite some time... but the RBR contract for riches is already signed, the team is especially keen to keep the #1 plate, and is most pleased after all)Ferrari: Alonso, WebberMcLaren: Button, RosbergMercedes: di Resta, Alguersuari (test driver is promoted after solid testing efforts. a building team should have a development line-up of course - FI has done this and done no less than embarrassed them on multiple occassions... Mercedes learns their lesson from FI and wisens up.. cheap drivers means the R+D dept is loaded with cash for maximum attack)Lotus: Raikkonen, GrosjeanForce India: Hulkenberg, Massa

The assumption that established drivers are somehow better than rookies, is of course absurd. None the less the "modern" Alesis and Bergers march on hogging those seats!!

Red Bull: Hamilton (#1), Vettel (Hamilton wins the wdc by a 48 points for most dominant McLaren season in quite some time... but the RBR contract for riches is already signed, the team is especially keen to keep the #1 plate, and is most pleased after all)Ferrari: Alonso, WebberMcLaren: Button, RosbergMercedes: di Resta, Alguersuari (test driver is promoted after solid testing efforts. a building team should have a development line-up of course - FI has done this and done no less than embarrassed them on multiple occassions... Mercedes learns their lesson from FI and wisens up.. cheap drivers means the R+D dept is loaded with cash for maximum attack)Lotus: Raikkonen, GrosjeanForce India: Hulkenberg, Massa

This is far from fan friendly, Webber will never see a Ferrari seat and would be dead weight t Alonso in 2013 plus that seat is reserved for the youth, (Sergio, Bianchi, Kobayashi).That Mercedes Line-up is so shit, Alguersauri will never see a Mercedes AMG GP seat, you logic about FI, they had Fisi and then Sutil in their most successful season, well groomed drivers by then.

Don't see how that will happen. after Marko saying they are not winners. If they wanted someone to replace Webber for a year while they continue to evaluate Ricciardo and Vergne there are other experienced drivers they could easily attract.

Only question in my mind is who's going to replace Massa at Ferrari, maybe Webber as he is the fastest number 2 out there or Kubica comes back - can't see a lot changing other than that in the upper teams.

"During an FIA press conference at a Grand Prix in the latter half of last year - I forget where - I was asked by a journalist whether the team principals of the teams then rumoured to be considering Kimi for a 2012 drive, a couple of whom were sitting alongside me, should hire him or not. My answer was an unequivocal yes. I stand by that answer, and I’m pleased that he’s made a Formula One comeback" said M. Whitmarsh.

Piquet beat Alonso to the first podium of the season. Are you suggesting that Webber is worse than Piquet? Most reasonable pundits would place Piquet in the Pizzonia category.

I can't let you get away with that... Piquet secured that podium (the only one of his F1 career) in that very unusual race at Hockenheim, with the safety car that threw everyone off balance. Piquet had been an early stopper and got a massive leap up the field, he led for a number of those laps before conceding to Hamilton.

Alonso had dominated Piquet in the points and qualifying up to that point and on to the end of the season. Using Piquet's fluke podium as a justification of Webber's ability is a completely baseless argument.

Only wild cards are if Kubica returns and the unknown result of the Torro Rosso intra-team battle.

add to that list these:-is Hamilton staying? if not, where is he going?-will Raikkonen shine enough to be offered a seat at a top team? if yes, will he leave the team where (currently it seems as) they are caressing him a lot?-force india intra-team battle winner to mercedes?

Ferrari - Alonso will stay to 2016 as contracted unless there is a disaster with their cars which is unlikely. Perez to replace Massa. Santander will require a South American, as this is by far their largest market.

RBR - Vettel and Vergne. Webber to retire.

McLaren - Button and Hamilton. Cannot seriously see any change here as there are no better options for either.

Mercedes - Rosberg and Di Resta, who has been groomed for this role for years. Michael to retire again.

Lotus - Raikonnen and Kubica to return. They will still be the ones helping him to recover.

Sauber - Kobayashi and Massa to return. He did well for them last time and Ferrari will put pressure on to assuage their guilt.

Force India - Hulkenberg and Bianchi who will be groomed this year.

Williams - Maldonado and Senna. If they move the team forward they will deserve another year and if not their funding will remain essential!

STR - Ricciardo and Buemi. There is no new hot shot in the driver programme who will be ready. Switch Vergne and Ricciardo if results dictate.

I see a lot of people thinking Ferrari could take Kubica on next year.

I just feel that after two years of an under-performing Felipe Massa, would Ferrari risk taking on a driver who has missed (likely) two full seasons and suffered huge injuries?

If I were to take a punt now, I'd go with a relatively static silly season. I think STR don't really have anyone lingering beneath Vergne/Ricciardo for a year or two, so will keep them for 2013. Webber stays for 2013, as does Schumacher (who doesn't seem to want to retire again). Only change I can see is at Ferrari, allowing Bianchi up to Sauber, Trulli going (if he lasts till then) and the inevitable Marussia 2nd driver replacement and HRT merry go-round.

If Esteban Gutiérrez fights for the GP2 championship (even if he falls short of winning it) you can expect him to get a Sauber seat. Even if Pérez moves to Ferrari with Telmex backing, I think they will want a seat for Esteban and Sauber is the logical choice.

If Esteban Gutiérrez fights for the GP2 championship (even if he falls short of winning it) you can expect him to get a Sauber seat. Even if Pérez moves to Ferrari with Telmex backing, I think they will want a seat for Esteban and Sauber is the logical choice.

I must be the only person who doesn't think there is a particularly serious chance of Perez moving to Ferrari next year. The guy has only just turned 22, there's no need to rush him into the seat before he's ready. If he shows some great form this year then there will be a chance but some people seem to have forgotten that's by no means a guarantee. He didn't look noticeably better than Kobayashi last year and despite all his online support none of the top teams seem particularly interested in him. I think Perez would need to convincingly beat Kobayashi in the first year to even be considered. Yeah, he's in their academy - but if he wasn't would anyone think he was a serious contender for the seat? And despite all Ferrari's pomp about their young driver's programme, they aren't going to take a driver unless they are convinced that he's up to it.

[Pérez] has only just turned 22, there's no need to rush him into the [Ferrari] seat before he's ready. [...] he's in their academy - but if he wasn't would anyone think he was a serious contender for the seat?

Good point about not rushing Pérez into a Ferrari seat.

Ferrari could always try to get Webber for 2013 and 2014, after which either Pérez or Bianchi should be ready to jump into the car.

I must be the only person who doesn't think there is a particularly serious chance of Perez moving to Ferrari next year. The guy has only just turned 22, there's no need to rush him into the seat before he's ready. If he shows some great form this year then there will be a chance but some people seem to have forgotten that's by no means a guarantee. He didn't look noticeably better than Kobayashi last year and despite all his online support none of the top teams seem particularly interested in him. I think Perez would need to convincingly beat Kobayashi in the first year to even be considered. Yeah, he's in their academy - but if he wasn't would anyone think he was a serious contender for the seat? And despite all Ferrari's pomp about their young driver's programme, they aren't going to take a driver unless they are convinced that he's up to it.

(Edited because I can't count - he's 22!)

Agreed. I like Perez and have kept an eye on him since British F3, but he hasn't shown enough for Ferrari to take a risk on him yet. I seem them rather rescuing Webber if they get tired of Massa. Or maybe even the winner of the Force India team-mate battle.

I must be the only person who doesn't think there is a particularly serious chance of Perez moving to Ferrari next year. The guy has only just turned 22, there's no need to rush him into the seat before he's ready. If he shows some great form this year then there will be a chance but some people seem to have forgotten that's by no means a guarantee. He didn't look noticeably better than Kobayashi last year and despite all his online support none of the top teams seem particularly interested in him. I think Perez would need to convincingly beat Kobayashi in the first year to even be considered. Yeah, he's in their academy - but if he wasn't would anyone think he was a serious contender for the seat? And despite all Ferrari's pomp about their young driver's programme, they aren't going to take a driver unless they are convinced that he's up to it.

(Edited because I can't count - he's 22!)

It's not like Massa was a super rock star when he got the Ferrari drive.

Agreed. I like Perez and have kept an eye on him since British F3, but he hasn't shown enough for Ferrari to take a risk on him yet. I seem them rather rescuing Webber if they get tired of Massa. Or maybe even the winner of the Force India team-mate battle.

I don't think Webber will retire this year if he's got the chance to stay in a top team, but if Red Bull wanted to keep him too then I'm not sure if he'd choose Ferrari over them. A lot of ifs and buts there though, so I wouldn't want to make a prediction on that - especially as it would be dependent on form. But there are other solid types out there who they could also use as a stop-gap. Kovalainen and Glock spring to mind, although their contract situations might not allow it.

If Ferrari are serious about their academy, I think it makes more sense for them to groom Perez for the seat in a few years times (2015-2016 maybe) so he's in place to succeed Alonso - providing he shows enough in that time - rather than prematurely throwing him in to be the number 2 at such a young age. However, I'm not totally convinced that they are that committed to it sadly.

I don't think Webber will retire this year if he's got the chance to stay in a top team, but if Red Bull wanted to keep him too then I'm not sure if he'd choose Ferrari over them. A lot of ifs and buts there though, so I wouldn't want to make a prediction on that - especially as it would be dependent on form. But there are other solid types out there who they could also use as a stop-gap. Kovalainen and Glock spring to mind, although their contract situations might not allow it.

If Ferrari are serious about their academy, I think it makes more sense for them to groom Perez for the seat in a few years times (2015-2016 maybe) so he's in place to succeed Alonso - providing he shows enough in that time - rather than prematurely throwing him in to be the number 2 at such a young age. However, I'm not totally convinced that they are that committed to it sadly.

But their #1s tend to be established champions. The academy is to form the next Massa, not the next Alonso

Anyway, looks like my post brought a lot of Ferrari succession discussion, when I really just wanted to throw Esteban Gutierrez's name for a Sauber seat.